Awaken Spring Blend

A lively blend to usher in spring. We donate $5 from the sale of each 12-oz bag to On the Ground's Project Congo, increasing gender equality and empowering female farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Since 2014, numerous farming communities in the eastern DRC's South Kivu region have partnered with On the Ground to create gender equity programs and expand the role of women in regional coffee production. Despite often being responsible for up to 80% of coffee farms labor in the DRC, many women never see a single Congolese Franc for their efforts.

Additionally, according to a 2007 DRC Demographic and Health Survey, approximately 1.80 million women in the DRC have been raped, while another 3.37 million have suffered sexual violence at the hands of their intimate partners. However, communities partnering with OTG are working to change cultural norms through Gender Action Learning System courses, which help men and women develop stronger, more sustainable communities through economic inclusivity and rejecting violence.

The Muungano Cooperative has partnered with OTG to expand the scope of their GALS training, literacy classes, and credit and savings programs. Over the past five years, these innovative courses have helped coffee farming families gain a better understanding of how prosperity increases when women receive fair compensation for their work in the field and are given equal authority in determining household finances. Now, many of these families are looking to teach the GALS methodology in other nearby communities, creating a positive ripple effect across the region.